Saurabh Gaikwad, son of former Pune corporator and NCP (SP) leader Bandu Gaikwad alias Tatya Gaikwad, allegedly rammed his SUV into a tempo while drunk driving, injuring two people in Keshavnagar area of Maharashtra's Pune. According to police, 25-year-old Saurabh also sustained injuries in the accident which took place on Manjari-Mundhwa Road in Pune in the wee hours of Tuesday.
A video of the speeding SUV ramming into an approaching truck has gone viral on social media. In a CCTV video of the incident, a black Tata Harrier can be seen speeding on the wrong side of a narrow single-lane road, before heading straight into the tempo transporting chickens. Due to the impact of the collision, the SUV spun and skidded to the side of the road. The tempo was also pushed several meters back and some chickens fell out of it due to the jolt.
The tempo driver and his associate were injured in the accident. According to the police, all three were rushed to a hospital after the crash, where they are undergoing treatment.
Police have also lodged a complaint against Saurabh Gaikwad, who was allegedly driving recklessly, under the influence of alcohol. However, the NCP leader's son has not yet been taken into custody.
"We have not taken him in custody as he is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital as he, too, was injured in the crash," news agency PTI reported quoting a police officer, who added that cops are also probing if the accused was under the influence of liquor while driving.
This comes nearly two months after two IT professionals were killed in Pune's Kalyani Nagar area on May 19, after their motorcycle was hit by a speeding Porsche car allegedly driven by a 17-year-old boy, the son of a builder, in an inebriated condition.
In a similar case on July 7, a 40-year-old woman was killed after a BMW car driven by the son of an Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena leader's son rammed his SUV into a scooter on which she was travelling along with her husband. The accident took place at Worli's arterial Anni Besant Road in Mumbai. Accused Mihir Shah, who was absconding after the BMW hit-and-run incident, was arrested two days later from Virar in Palghar district.